If you want to start a garden and have never planted anything before, you will want to find plants that are easy to grow. This will help you gain confidence in your newfound hobby and will make gardening a lot more fun for you.

Before you go shopping for plants, consider what kinds you want. Are you looking for flowers? Vegetables? Herbs? Greenery? Plant something that you will enjoy. Don’t just plant vegetables because you think you should and you have a nice sunny spot.

Speaking of the sun, your second consideration when picking out plants should be how much sun the spot you want to plant in gets. If the site is sunny, you’ll be sure to find a number of plants that will be happy there. Shade is trickier; while there are some types do thrive in shade, it’s unlikely you will be able to grow vegetables there. Once you have determined your light level and decided what you’d like to plant, it’s time to go shopping. If you’re looking for flowers and greenery and you have a sunny spot, there are many plants that are great for beginners and will look wonderful in your yard.

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Coreopsis, coneflower, black-eyed Susans and sunflowers are all great, easy-to-grow, colorful choices for your sunny garden spot. You can also just go to the garden center and look at the plants that are outside in full sunlight. Those will do well in your garden; just plant them and water them regularly. If you’re hunting for plants for a shadier spot, consider ferns and hostas for their lovely green colors, and phlox and impatiens for the splashes of bright color they add. If you’re looking for shrubs for your shady spot, azaleas are easy to care for and can provide you with green leaves year round as well as flowers in the spring.

Another way to get flowers easily, whether your spot is sunny or shady, is by planting bulbs. Bulbs look somewhat like onions, though they can be large or small, and are usually planted in the fall. Follow the planting directions on the package, and in the spring you will have an abundance of beautiful flowers just when you need them, with very little care on your part.

When it comes to vegetables and herbs, there are many good choices for beginners. Lettuce, carrots, radishes, squash, beans and peppers are all easy to grow. Vegetables are a little more particular about water than flowers and houseplants are, but if you pay attention to them and water regularly, they should be fine.

Many of the culinary herbs you are familiar with are easy to grow from seed or from plants purchased at your local nursery. Rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, cilantro, parsley, mint and more can all be grown on your back deck or even in a window box in your kitchen. Herbs are nice to have around the home because they smell nice and are great to add to dishes as you are cooking. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different kinds and plant something just because it catches your eye.

Discuss this Article

juliesPost 3

When looking at good plants for beginners one of the first things I would consider is where you live as far as the area of planting zones is concerned. If you purchase plants that grow best in Zone 8-9 and you live in Zone 5, you are going to be disappointed .

This happened to me with a beautiful perennial I purchased, thinking it would come back every year. I did not realize until a few months after I planted it that it was for a much warmer gardening zone than I was in. It was beautiful for the entire summer, but only lasted in my climate for that one season.

MykolPost 2

If you are looking for a good houseplant for a beginner, I would recommend a Philodendron. This was the very first plant I ever tried to grow and I see many of these interior plants in restaurants and office buildings.

They are easy to grow and grow quickly. I have had them in just about every kind of light, but they seem to do best in indirect sunlight. Because they grow quickly and become very long, they look good hanging down from a pot. Given a little fertilizer and regular watering, you can't hardly go wrong with these plants.

anon36173Post 1

For indoor plants, I've had very good success with spider plants. I once forgot to water one for several weeks. I was sure it was probably dead, but gave it a little water and put it in the sun, and within a day or two it was perking up again.

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